The Bride Wore Red Page #9

Oh, Maddelena.

Please.

Having felt

properly sorry for myself

we can all have dinner together

tonight before you go, can't we?

- Should we?

- Of course, we should.

I'd like to see Anne again.

I'd like to tell her..

I'd like to tell her

that I think she's very lucky.

Oh, please, Rudi,

get out of here.

- What time is it?

- It's 10:
00.

- Oh, must be later than that.

- It's ten o'clock.

Oh, the day goes by so slowly.

What am I suppose to do

until nighttime comes?

Wait for it.

Why not climb up to your beloved

pines with your future--

Oh, he's busy

making arrangements.

He might permit the postman

to walk with you.

So what if I never see

another pine tree again

as long as I live.

What if I never welcome

the wind in the morning?

- 'What did you say?'

- Nothing.

Tomorrow, I won't care

what time it is.

Starting tomorrow, I won't care

whether it's day or night

or whether...

pine trees grow like pretzels.

I'll be a bride.

Hey, Maria, look at Anni.

I'm a bride.

Here comes the bride

all dressed in..

Red! The bride wore red.

Oh, my wonderful red dress.

You wouldn't let me

wear it before, Maria.

You were afraid and so was I.

But now, I'm not.

But I still wanna wear it

because I'm a bride..

...and I'm a lady.

Well..

I've been trying to remember you

at the Cordillera Bar.

So have I, and I can't.

He'll send me flowers

every night just like tonight.

It's a pity

they don't go with the dress.

I love them.

I'd like to wear them always.

Flowers don't die on me

like they do on other women.

Nothing you touch

will ever die, Anni

and nothing you touch

will ever live.

- What are you talking about?

- I'm afraid of you tonight.

I thought I knew you.

I thought you could love,

and be hurt

and grow like everything else

that lives

but you have no heart, Anni.

You're like a fire that

burns everything around it

and destroys whatever it touches

and in the end, destroys itself.

You can't remember

the waterfront

because you're still there.

This place,

all of this hasn't touched--

- Oh, shut up.

- You're the same.

You'll always be the same.

I'm afraid of you.

Have you gone crazy?

Sure..

Sure, I'm crazy I guess.

I don't know what came over me.

Nerves.

These past weeks

haven't been exactly

a party for me, you know?

Oh, but from now on, it's going

to be a party, you'll see.

Well, I couldn't have done

without you, you old horse.

You know that?

Here, that's better. Now, come

on. Say goodbye to the bride.

I'd hit you with an old shoe

only...I'm wearing them.

But good luck to you.

Oh, no more of that.

It isn't necessary.

You see, Maria,

I've got what I want.

Yes, Anni.

You've got what you want.

- Good evening, signorina.

- Good evening.

Darling, it's been a whole day.

- Well, how do I look?

- You look..

You always look beautiful.

Oh, darling.

Is everything arranged?

We leave for Orciano

right after dinner.

We'll hurry dinner

as fast as we can.

It won't be much fun for me,

what with Maddelena and all.

Be nice to Maddelena.

Understand how she feels.

Oh, if she's nice to me.

She understands how I feel.

She will. Maddelena

couldn't be any other way.

Here she is,

ladies and gentlemen.

I'm sorry, I'm late

but I had so much to pack.

I want to wish you

the best of everything, Anne.

- I hope you'd be very happy.

- Thank you, Maddelena.

And I hope

we'll always be good friends.

I know we will,

that is if you don't mind

my getting jealous

every now and then.

Let's all sit down,

shall we? Anne?

Look at that.

'The we are, darling,

Rudi, the wood chopper'

'and his bucksome bride.'

I'd tell you how thoughtful and

how sweet you are, Maddelena

but I'd have to talk

about so many things.

They are the most elegant

bride and groom I could find

on such short notice.

What a shame

they had to be peasants.

Yet peasants fall in love,

and stay in love.

- I remember--

- Of course, this..

- I beg your pardon.

- I beg yours.

- Please.

- I insist.

- But, I really didn't--

- Neither did I, honestly.

Oh! Isn't this onion soup good?

Wonderful. My favorite dish

in all the world.

- Again thank you, Maddelena.

- Oh, it's just force of habit.

You'll have so many things

to remember, Anne.

He likes his coffee strong,

and his meat medium toward rare.

His eggs three minutes,

and none of the smelly cheeses.

And chocolate's bad

for him and..

I can imagine nothing of less

interest to the rest of us.

Would you like me

to close the door, Anne?

No, please, I like it open.

It lets the night in.

And I can hear the trees

and the wind.

Did you ever think how far

the wind has travelled just to..

- To what, Anne?

- To make my life miserable.

To everyone else in the world,

the wind is the wind.

To me, it's always the cold

in the head.

The peasant music.

Giulio's flute.

It's the first night in so long

that he's played

with the others.

He sounds very sad.

- And I know why.

- Why?

Because every night

isn't festa night.

He danced with Anne

at the festa.

How nice.

Too bad I missed seeing you.

Well, there was such a crowd

on the floor.

I saw them dance.

They looked charming.

Giulio had a little

too much wine to drink.

I'm surprised at myself

for leaving Anne alone with him.

That's more trust

than you ever had in me.

You never even let me

near a bar.

It's funny.

I didn't feel afraid for Anne.

I thought she could handle him.

I'm sure she could.

Rudi, would you close the door,

please?

Certainly, darling.

What about the night?

The noise of the wind.

It's chilly now.

Funny, Giulio seems

to have left the others.

He's playing alone now.

Coming his way too,

from the sound.

He shouldn't be allowed

in the hotel grounds.

- Anne?

- Well, he shouldn't.

Oh, I'm sorry.

I've such a headache.

- Excitement and everything.

- Of course.

Perhaps you'd better go

to your room.

But that seems such a shame.

Our last night together.

I wouldn't think

of breaking up the party.

It's, uh, strange

I don't remember you, admiral.

Such a good friend of father's.

You were such

a little bit of a thing.

Yes.

A sort of miniature

of what you are now.

- And what am I now?

- May I answer that?

No, please. The admiral.

I want to know

about myself as a child.

What I looked like?

What I said?

The clothes I wore,

and the things I did.

- Well, now, uh..

- But you must remember.

- I was a beautiful child.

- 'Yes.'

And I wore

the nicest of clothes.

Made it specially for me

even as a little girl.

And I wore my hair long,

and-and braids.

And I was a well-mannered

little girl too, wasn't I?

- A perfect, little lady.

- Yes.

Perfect, little lady.

You speak of yourself

so strangely.

Almost as one

might speak of the death.

Or as someone

who had never lived.

A telegram.

I'll bet it's for you, darling.

- From your mother.

- No, it's for the contessa.

Telegram for the contessa.

How did you know?

- Anne, is this--

- Yes, it's true.

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